Odahiekwu Ogunde, Yenagoa
Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi, says 440 athletes will represent the state in the forthcoming National Sports Festival slated for Benin City, Edo State from April 6 to April 16.
Wodi gave the hint during an interactive session with newsmen in his office in Yenagoa ahead of the much anticipated showpiece which has suffered several postponements.
He said the collective desire of the state’s contingent was to surpass the previous records set in the National Sports Festival, pointing out that the athletes in camp were in high spirit and that Team Bayelsa would achieve credible results.
He further explained that 33 associations would take part in the rescheduled Edo 2020 fiesta especially where the state has comparative advantage such as wrestling, swimming and combatant sports.
He stressed that since he assumed office as the Director of Sports, the swimming pool at the Samson Siasia Stadium had been given a facelift.
With Bayelsa finishing fifth in the 2018 edition in Abuja with 33 gold medals, 49 bronze medals and 56 silver, Wodi believed that getting a top three finish in the overall medals table in Benin was of utmost priority.
According to him, the Bayelsa State government initially approved N63. 9m to execute the festival, noting that the council had taken delivery of equipment needed for the fiesta.
He debunked rumours making the rounds that the kits of Team Bayelsa carried the tag Team Nigeria at the back.
Wodi also stated that the process of recruiting more wrestlers in the state was ongoing, having hosted the Baraza Wrestling Championship which produced younger wrestlers.
He added that Bayelsa would host a national scrabble event immediately after the NSF stressing that the idea was to discover new talents in all sports.